Game net end member



May 12, 1953 J. STAPL-ETON 2,638,346

GAME NET END MEMBER Filed May 19, 1950 IN VEN TOR. Ja/e L fifa o/efw? V such as Ping-pong,

Patented May 12, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GAME NET END MEMBER J oie L. Stapleton, Lawrence, Kans. Application May 19, 1950, Serial No. 162,954

' 2 Claims. (c1. 273-29) This invention relates to the field of athletic to do primarily with games tennis and badminton, the most important object being to provide a combiequipment and has nation tensioning device and releasable support- .ing means for game nets that is also adjustable for varying the height of such net.

One of the principal objects of the present invention is to provide a air of end pieces for game nets, each of which is extensible and adapted for ,positioning within suitable brackets that are in turn mounted on a support whereby the entire net and its end pieces may be quickly and easily removed and/or positioned ready for use by merely retracting the end pieces.

Another important object of the present invention is to providea tensioning device for game nets that is mounted as a unit upon one of the aforesaid extensible end pieces and including *a' Windlass for receiving a pair of spaced-apart,

cables forming a part of the net itself.

' A further object of this invention is to provide a game net having a pair of extensible end pieces,

eachof which is provided. with a pair of opposed pins, one of the pins being reciprocably mounted within the end piece and biased outwardly therefrom and the other pin having a plurality of corrugations for engaging a bracket whereby the height of the net' can be selectively chosen to suit the desires of the players.

3 Other objects, including details of construction, will be made clear or become apparent as the following specification progresses, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure l is a top plan view of a combination game net bracket and stretching apparatus made in accordance with my present invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view thereof.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, detailed, fragmentary, cross-sectional view taken on line III-III of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a transverse, cross-sectional view taken on line IV-IV of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows.

A net, for the most part of conventional character and commonly employed in the playing of such games as tennis, badminton, Ping-pong and the like, is clearly illustrated in Fig. 2 of the 2 turn all interconnected by a plurality of cords 20, arranged in a crisscross pattern.

Net I0 is conventionally stretched between a pair of upright supports 22 and 24 that may constitute posts or other rigid constructions and, for the purposes of this invention, each of the supports 22 and 24 is provided with a pair of opposed, horizontally extending brackets 26 having eyelet or loops 28 on the outermost free ends thereof. Any suitable means may be employed for attaching the brackets 28 either rigidly or permanently to the supports 22 and 24. Brackets 26 receive, through the medium of the loops 28 thereof, a pair of opposed end pieces 30 and 32 for the net l0. End pieces 30 and 32 preferably include an elongated tubular body 34 having pins 36 and 38 extending outwardlyfrom the uppermost and lowermost ends thereof. Tubular body 34 has a "perforated end wall 49 for slidably receiving pin 38, there being an out-turned flange 42 on the innermost end of rod 38 slidable within body 34. Flange 42 receives one end of a coil spring 44 within body 34, the opposite end of the spring 44 bearing against a transverse pin 49 in body 34 spaced from end wall 40 of the latter. Spring 44 accordingly yieldably biases the pin 33 outwardly with respect to the body 34 and outward movement of pin 38 is limitedby a stop 48 in body 34 on that side of flange 42 opposite to spring 44. As illustrated, the pin 38 passes loosely through the lowermost eyelet 28, while the pin 36 extends upwardly through the corresponding uppermost eyelet 28,

Vertical movement of the entire end piece 30 or 32 as the case may be, with respect to: the corresponding supports 22 and 24 respectively, is limited by a plurality of kinks or corrugations 50 formed in the pins 36 throughout the length thereof. The length of the pins 36 is suiiicient to prevent release of the end pieces 30 and 32 in the event the net It is accidentally slackened. In other words, the ends 40 of the end pieces 30 and 32, will move against the lowermost loops 28 before pins 35 slip from their normal position within the uppermost loops 28.

The tubular body 34 for the end piece 32, is provided with a pair of opposed laterally extending eyelets 52 and it is within these eyelets 52 that one end of the cables 12 and 14 are permanently tied. The cables l2 and 14 at that end thereof adjacent the cross-cord 16, are threaded through pulleys 54 and 56 respectively rotatably mounted in bifurcated brackets 58 carried by the tubular portion 34 of end piece 30.

A Windlass includes a drum 60, rotatably carried by a bifurcated bracket 62 on end piece 30 between brackets 58. That end of the cables l2 and I l opposite to eyelets 52 is secured directly to the drum 60 and wound thereabout as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 4. A crank 64 on drum Bil, serves as a means for rotating the latter and any suitable ratchet-pawl means or other mechanism (not shown) may be employed to hold the crank 64 and the drum 68 against counterrotation after the net It! has been suitably tensioned or stretched between end pieces 39 and 32.

While the operation is quite apparent, it is important to point out that the entire tensioning or stretching means for the not it, is carried by the end piece 39 as a unit and is movable therewith with respect to the support 22. It is notable further that the tensioning assembly hereof cooperates with the pins 36 in. holding the entire net and its supports 39 and 32 against vertical movement within the eyelets 28 of brackets 26. As long as the net It) is tightly stretched between .the end pieces 35 and 32, the pins 35 and 323 will bear tightly against the eyelets 28 at the bight thereof and because of the corrugations 50, vertical movement of the pins 38 is prevented.

Removal of the entire assembly from the position illustrated in Figs. 1 and is accomplished by merely rotating the drum lit) in a counterdirection, thereby releasin the tension on net ii The two end pieces 30 and 32 may thereupon be easily and quickly removed from the brackets 25 by merely moving pins 33 inwardly within tubular bodies 34 against the action of the corresponding springs 44. Such retraction of the pins 38 decreases the overall length of the end pieces 3i} and 32 to that less than the distance between brackets 26 and permits reuiicva'l of net it end pieces 39 and. 32 as well as the tensioning apparatus including drum 56 front the supports 22 and 24. By virtue of the provision of a plurality of corrugations 59 on the pins 35, the height of the net It can be varied within close proportions and it is obvious fur* ther that the entire structure can be utilized for a number of games where the net it must be of differing heights by the mere provision of a plurality of brackets 26 upon supporting means 22 and 24.

Many other advantages will emanate from use of the net assembly hereof and those that fairly come within the spirit of this invention as defined by the scope of the appended claims, are contemplated hereby.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. As an article of manufacture, an end memher for game nets comprising an elongated tube having means thereon adapted to receive one end of a game net; and a bracket-receiving pin extending from each end of said tube, one pin projecting into the tube and being biased outwardly therefrom, the other pin having bracketengaging corrugations thereon for releasably holding the same against movement relative to its bracket.

2. In a game net assembly, a pair of spaced posts, each having a pair of spaced brackets; an upright end member for each post, each member including an elongated element having a pin extending from each end thereof; the brackets each being provided with an eye for receiving a corresponding pin,- a game net joining the elements; means mounting one pin of each element for reciprocation on the longitudinal axis of the element; and means carried by each element for yieldably holding the reciprocable pin thereof biased outwardly whereby to render the member releasable from the brackets upon retraction of the reciprocab'le pins, the other pin of each element having bracket engaging corrugations thereon for releasably holding the same against movement relative to its brackets.

JOIE L. STAPLETON.

References Cited in the file of this patent U NITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 523,912 Hopkins July 31, 1894 1,048,780 Woolhiser Dec. 31, 1912 1,300,972 Janssen Apr. 15, 1919 1,929,579 Garlando Oct. 10, 1933 2,150,033 Hillson Mai. 7, 1939 2,479,318 'Nadelson May 17, 1949 2,436,607 Laystrom Nov. 1, 1949 2,590,514 Bozoti N Mar. 14, -0

FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 420,693 Great Britain Dec. 6, 1934 

